


The Simple Truth

by mareygodwin



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Modern AU, Older Man/Younger Woman, Tumblr Prompt, sansan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23332018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mareygodwin/pseuds/mareygodwin
Summary: Sansa can't help but worry when Sandor misses their daily walk together.
Relationships: Sandor Clegane/Sansa Stark
Comments: 31
Kudos: 184





	The Simple Truth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Maplesyrup](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maplesyrup/gifts).



> Based on a prompt from Maplesyrup: “I’ve been in love with you for years.”

It wasn’t like Sandor to keep her waiting. If anything, Sansa was always the one who held up their daily walks. She waited at the end of her drive, with Lady impatiently tugging on her lead, and checked her phone for the seventh time.

No new messages. No calls.

Maybe he was too busy, but he’d never missed a walk in the two years that they’d been neighbours. Maybe he’d already walked Stranger that day, but she hadn’t seen him leave his house. It wasn’t like him not to tell her if something was troubling him. If he didn’t want to walk with her anymore, he would have said, but she couldn’t see him leaving her to walk in the snow alone.

The cold weather had set in just a couple of days before, shortly after Robb and Jon had been to visit, which was fortunate. The street she shared with Sandor was too far out of town to make braving the snow worthwhile. In the past, when winter set in, he’d be the only person Sansa saw before the weather cleared again. He always worried about her walking in the cold.

Eventually, Lady’s pulling became too much and Sansa knew she couldn’t wait any more. She took Lady for a walk alone, casting glances over her shoulder the whole way in case Sandor decided to catch up.

He didn’t.

The next day was the same. Sansa wrapped up in her warmest scarf and coat, and waited at the end of her drive. She’d tried calling only once since returning from her lone walk the day before. She hadn’t wanted to bother him if he was busy, but now she wished she had. She watched his home as more snow began to fall, with Lady waiting at her side, and made up her mind. There was nothing stopping her from knocking on his door, other than her nerves and the fact he hadn’t invited her inside before. But her breath was clouding in the air, and her winter clothes could only keep out the chill for so long.

She trudged forward through the snow collecting in his driveway. His bike wasn’t there, but that meant little. He always parked it in the garage, and it had snowed enough overnight to cover any possible tracks from him coming or going. She hoped he was in. Part of her hoped that he’d see her approaching and answer the door before she even knocked, but of course he didn’t. The house was still and quiet. Stranger didn’t bark. The curtains didn’t twitch to give away that he might have spotted her.

Frowning, Sansa tentatively knocked and waited.

Nothing happened immediately. Lady sniffed at the foot of the door, the snow started to fall heavier than before, but it was when Sansa decided to knock again that she heard the chain slide across the latch. She expected the door to swing open, and Sandor to take up the whole doorway with an amused smirk as he told her that everything was fine and she was worried over nothing.

Instead, the door only opened a fraction. She could barely see the man inside, apart from a strip of his face as he peered out into the cold at her.

“Little bird?” he asked. His voice sounded gruffer than usual, and she couldn’t tell if he was surprised or confused to see her at his door.

All thoughts of what to say or ask left her the moment she saw his grey eyes. He looked drawn and tired, and she felt guilty now for interrupting him.

“You missed our walk,” she said uselessly, giving Lady’s lead a gentle shake.

Stranger appeared in the doorway, his black nose sticking through to sniff at the visitors. Sandor stroked his head and pulled him back inside.

“Must’ve lost track of the time,” he said, and stepped forward to stop the big dog from slipping out to greet Lady.

Sansa frowned.

“That was yesterday,” she pointed out. “Why didn’t you--”

Sandor began to cough, cutting her off, and ducked behind the door to cover his mouth.

“Sandor?” He didn’t reappear at the door immediately, and she stepped forward. “Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”

“It’s nothing,” he promised, and moved back in front of the door before she could enter. “Just a cold.”

Sansa narrowed her eyes. “It’s not nothing. Have you been on your own since yesterday? What about Stranger?”

“What about him?”

“He missed his walk. A dog that big can’t just not go outside.”

“I let him in the yard,” Sandor grumbled.

Sansa shook her head. She wouldn’t let him off that easily. Lady nudged the door with her nose, and Sansa could hear Stranger trying to scratch his way through to reach her.

“I’ll walk him,” she decided.

Sandor hesitated, but it only made her more determined.

“He won’t walk with you,” he said. Sansa rolled her eyes.

“He walks with me _every_ day. We’ll be fine. Won’t we, Stranger?”

Stranger poked her face through the gap between Sandor’s leg and the door. The two huskies greeted each other with sniffing and a wag of their tails, and Sandor relented easily.

“Fine,” he groused, leaving her standing at the step. He appeared a moment later, with Stranger’s harness and a demand that she promise to be careful. Sansa wasn’t sure if he was worried about her walking in the snow with two big dogs, or if he was worried about Stranger going for a walk without him.

Knowing Sandor it was probably a bit of both.

“We’ll be fine,” she promised. “And when we’re done, I’m going to check on you. You shouldn’t be alone when you’re sick.”

He mumbled something under his breath, but the two dogs were already pulling her away down the drive, and Sansa only had time to throw him a pleased smile and a wave.

* * *

Sandor wasn’t there to greet her when she returned. He called for her to let herself in, and she knew then that something was definitely _wrong_. It wasn’t just his illness that was bothering him. Or maybe she was overthinking things. Maybe he just wanted his dog back.

She slipped off Stranger’s harness, and Sandor appeared in the hall with an oversized towel to dry the melting snow from the dog’s legs. Sansa insisted that she could do it, he should be lying down, but Sandor was stubborn when he wanted to be. He reminded her that he did it every damn day, and he wasn’t going to let a little cold stop him.

Huffing a sigh, Sansa shook off her coat while he dried the dogs. She said nothing about him cleaning up Lady too, and took the opportunity to look around while he was distracted.

His house was the same size as hers, with doors built in the same places and presumably leading off into the same rooms. The door to their right looked to lead into a sitting room, the same as Sansa’s did, but the house was full of dark woods and grey walls. Her own home was decorated with whites and soft blues and light wood. The darker colours were very him, but it was also surprisingly tidy. The only things out of places were the half-chewed toys Stranger had left on the hall floor, and Sandor’s boots at the door.

“Sansa?”

His deep voice pulled her back to the moment, and she looked across to find him holding Lady’s lead out for her. A warmth rose in her cheeks that had nothing to do with suddenly being inside with central heating.

“Thank you,” Sansa said, taking it from him. “Now go and sit down. Have you had anything to eat yet?”

“What?”

“I told you I was going to check on you when I came back,” she reminded Sandor with a smile. It was normally impossible to surprise him. “They weren’t just pretty words. I meant it. Now _go_.”

A mixture of surprise and being sick stopped him from being any more stubborn than he already had been. He left her in the hall with the dogs, and walked through into the sitting room. She’d expected him to go to his bedroom, but then she thought it was better he didn’t when her stomach fluttered at the thought of being in there with him.

Pushing back those thoughts, Sansa followed after him. The sitting room was very cosy, with a big, cushioned sofa and a fireplace. She waited for him to shrug off his jacket and slump down onto the sofa, before she impulsively grabbed the blanket folded across the back of it and covered him with it. It was a long, woollen blanket, but he was still too tall to be covered by it fully. His feet stuck out at the end and Sansa smiled.

“What’re you doing?”

She looked at him as she tucked the blanket in around his legs.

“Making sure you get better,” she answered. “You haven’t been looking after yourself.”

He frowned and looked like he wanted to get back up, then thought better of it.

“I’m fine,” he insisted.

Sansa levelled him with a look and put her hand to his forward. She sighed.

“You’re not _fine_. You’re hot,” she argued.

They stared at one another. Sandor didn’t immediately answer, and she didn’t immediately realise what she’d said until he smirked and gently took her hand away.

“I don’t need a damn nurse.”

“No, you need a friend.”

Offering to be his friend didn’t stop her from pulling her hand back and not being able to meet his eyes. He grunted, a sound that she supposed was a laugh, but it turned into more coughing and gave her just the distraction she needed.

Assuming that his house really did follow the same layout as her own, Sansa hurried into what she hoped was the kitchen. She poured him a glass of water, searched through the drawers until she found a box of ibuprofen, and came back to find him buried even further under the blanket than before.

“You look comfy,” she teased, setting the glass down on the coffee table. “Here.” Popping out two of the pills, she waited for him to hold out his hand and gave them to him. “Do you want anything to eat?”

He sat up a little, just enough to swallow each of the pills and gulp down half of the glass of water. Sansa watched the dogs curl up together in the middle of the carpet. At least they were happy and cosy.

“You don’t have to do this. I can manage just fine on my own.”

“I’m sure you can,” she said, taking the glass from him. “But you don’t have to.” 

“I should.”

Sansa rolled her eyes. “ _Why_?”

Sandor didn’t answer. His eyes dropped to the dogs, as they always did when he was trying to think of something to say, or searching for a way out of a conversation. Sansa folded her arms and waited, until eventually he relented. She wasn’t going anywhere and he knew it.

“There’s some leftover soup in the fridge,” he said at last.

Smiling happily, Sansa left him with their dogs and set about warming it up. She cut a couple of slices of bread to go with it, buttered them, and found a TV tray to carry it all.

There was nothing but white outside. The kitchen window had steamed up, but she could still see heavy chunks of snow drifting through the air. It wouldn’t clear any time soon, and she could easily find herself stuck in Sandor’s house if she wasn’t careful.

After refilling his water, Sansa set everything onto the tray and returned to her patient.

The dogs had moved while she was gone. They sat beside the sofa, with Sandor reaching out to scratch Stranger behind the ears.

“See?” Sansa said, setting the tray on his lap. “They think you need company too.”

Grumbling his thanks, Sandor sat up and adjusted the tray. Sansa moved around him, between the dogs, and perched on the edge of his coffee table. He didn’t seem to mind, but she couldn’t help but notice how often he glanced her way. She wasn’t sure even Sandor realised how many times he looked at her, and each look was furtive.

Sandor was often quiet, it wasn’t unlike him to let her do most of the talking. If it wasn’t for the guilty look that came with his awkward silence, and the constant glances at her while he ate, Sansa might not have noticed that something was wrong. But he was rarely _this_ quiet.

What did he have to be guilty about? He was sick. There was nothing wrong in letting her take care of him.

“How’re you feeling?” she asked, watching him carefully.

He swallowed a mouthful of soup and stared at the bowl long enough for her to be certain that something else was troubling him.

“Not too bad,” he said.

Sandor didn’t lie.

Sansa shuffled closer to the edge of the coffee table, and leaned forward.

“You’re not really sick, are you?”

She could see the moment that his need to be honest warred with his desire to keep whatever was troubling him to himself. He put down his spoon, shifted uncomfortably, and suddenly couldn’t look at her.

“I am a little,” he said.

Sansa shook her head. “So you were just avoiding me?” 

“Not exactly.”

“Not exactly,” she echoed.

A lump rose in the back of her throat. Her first instinct was to ask what _exactly_ had been going on, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to hear the answer. He had been avoiding her, that much was clear now, and whatever excuses he had could wait.

“Right. I’ll let you… do whatever you were doing _exactly_ ,” she made herself say.

Taking a deep breath, Sansa stood before he could reply and moved away from him and the couch. She called Lady’s name over her shoulder, and the husky reluctantly got up from her spot beside Stranger. Neither of them truly wanted to leave, but Sansa needed a moment to herself and she couldn’t do that in Sandor’s house. That was his space, and she needed to be on her own to process why the idea of him avoiding her hurt so much.

It was still snowing when she hurried outside with Lady, and crossed the short gap between her door and his. Sandor called after her to wait, but she didn’t. She left without looking back and locked herself in her house without giving him a chance to be heard.

* * *

She didn’t bother waiting for him the next day. Sansa walked Lady alone, through the deep snow and crisp morning wind. There was no one else venturing out into the cold, and the snow was too deep on the roads for anyone to get to work. Her neighbours would all be tucked away inside where it was warm. And so would Sandor.

Pulling her scarf up over her chin, Sansa followed her usual walk down the road and towards the park. Lady walked well beside her, loping along through the drift on the pavement. Then another dog, quiet and all black, came bounding up beside her. Sansa’s hand tightened on Lady’s chain.

“You didn’t wait.” His voice, gruff and all too familiar, came from behind her.

She refused to stop and look at him. Sansa kept her chin held high and didn’t break stride, even when she heard Sandor’s crunching footsteps beside her, easily able to keep up with her pace.

“You made it clear you didn’t want me to,” she said lightly. It didn’t come easily to her to be curt with anyone. She couldn’t be short or standoffish with him, especially with him, but she wouldn’t invite conversation, either.

He seemed to take the hint, for a time. They walked together in silence until they reached the entrance of the park, and their dogs walked happily side-by-side. They pulled Sansa and Sandor along, eager to get into the park as quickly as possible, even with the thick snow settled over their favourite play area.

She was just beginning to think she could get away with not looking at him for the rest of the walk, when Sandor cleared his throat and her treacherous eyes glanced his way. His cheeks were tinged pink by the cold, and the sight of it made it impossible for Sansa to look away. She wanted to smile, but refused to let herself until she’d heard what he had to say for himself.

Stopping, she faced him squarely and held his gaze. He hesitated, then said something that was very definitely not an apology or an excuse.

“I saw your brother come to visit. And that other lad.”

Sansa frowned. “Jon?”

“Don’t know his name,” he mumbled, scratching behind Stranger’s ears and pretending to be distracted. Sansa wasn’t buying there. There was more to the story, and she could guess what it was that Sandor wouldn’t tell her.

“He’s a couple of years older than me,” she said carefully, watching the way his eyes flicked back up to her. “Dark hair. Very handsome.”

Sandor only grunted in response and scowled at the path ahead of them. Sansa gave a very unladylike snort and rolled her eyes. Why was he so ridiculous? He looked at her, his frown turning to one of confusion, and Sansa shook her head.

“ _This_ is why you avoided me? You’re jealous of my cousin?”

It was hard to tell how many emotions flitted across his face at once. There was definitely surprise and more confusion, and then embarrassment barely hidden behind his heavy frown.

“Didn’t know he was your cousin,” he said once the news had sunk in.

Sansa lifted her chin and lightly tugged on Lady’s lead.

“You would have if you hadn’t avoided me,” she reasoned, walking away.

Sandor hurried after her, and she let him keep pace with Stranger hurrying along beside Lady. It was such a silly thing, but she’d been worried about him, and then she’d been hurt, all because of his stupid jealousy. What did it matter that she’d had people come to visit? It had never bothered him before.

“Why did it bother you so much?” she asked without stopping.

“You’ve never dated before,” he admitted.

Sansa glanced across to him and pressed her lips together. This really was silly.

“The guy I like’s never asked me out,” she said quietly. “I was starting to think he didn’t like me.”

“Then he’s a fool.”

She laughed. “Yes, he is.”

“Sansa...”

He grasped her arm in a grip that was surprisingly light for the size of him, and made her turn to face him. She stopped, and turned towards him, but neither of them could quite look the other in the eye. Her heart raced, and she couldn’t work out why until he said the words that she’d unknowingly hoped to hear him say.

“I’ve been in love with you for years.”

Her breath caught, but she knew then that she couldn’t stay mad at him anymore; not now he was finally opening up.

“I understand if you don’t--”

Sansa kissed him, just to shut him up. She had to lean up onto her tiptoes and grip the front of his coat for balance, but she was quick enough to surprise him. His lips felt just as firm as she’d always imagined them to, but a lot softer than she’d expected, and she smiled as she leaned back.

“Haven’t you been paying attention?” she asked. “I love you too.”


End file.
